By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
To the surprise and shock of many, Lil Wayne dissed the late Emmett Till on Future’s remix of “Karate Chop.” Upon hearing the song, Emmett Till’s family called Lil Wayne out over the disrespectful line. L.A. Reid reached out to the family and Epic Records released an official statement before amending the song.
Given everything that took place during the Civil Rights era, effectively paving the way for Lil Wayne and the other major hip hop artists, the line is especially disrespectful. In some ways, the situation is comparable to Game’s depiction of Jesus Christ on the cover of his last album. Lil Wayne’s situation hit closer to home because of his words on Till.
Stevie Wonder is also upset with Lil Wayne for his choice to diss Emmett Till. Known for working with various legends, Drake previously got Stevie Wonder for his Take Care album. However, this was before Lil Wayne made the choice to call diss Emmett Till, which disappointed Stevie and prompted a statement.
Read Stevie Wonder’s statement below:
“You can’t equate that to Emmett Till. You just cannot do that. … I think you got to have someone around you that – even if they are the same age or older – is wiser to say, ‘Yo, that’s not happening. Don’t do that.’
“Sometimes people have to put themselves in the place of people who they are talking about. Imagine if that happened to your mother, brother, daughter or your son. How would you feel? Have some discernment before we say certain things. That goes for me or any other (song)writer.”
